Intro to Acts 5:12-42

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/12/2017 10:56 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Intro to Acts 5:12-42

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 5:12-42

 

            Message of the verses:  Once again I will not be quoting all of these verses because there are so many, but as usual I will quote the verses we go over each day.

 

            In his introduction to this chapter John MacArthur talks about what the mission of the church is all about, as some today, and in days past have not totally understood and so I think it best to go ahead and quote from his introduction on this topic and then as I usually do quote the last paragraph to show us where we will be going as we study this particular chapter from his commentary.  Now before I quote from his commentary I have to say that I was somewhat surprised to read what he wrote, but was happy to read it as I learned something.

 

            “A perennial problem the church of Jesus Christ faces is a lack of focus on its mission.  Widespread confusion exists over what that primary mission should be.  Some argue that the church should lead the crusade for social justice for the poor and downtrodden.  Others see it as a political force to help change the culture.  Still others view their church as a private club, where they can socialize with their friends.

 

            “On a more biblical note, the church’s goal is to mature the saints through the preaching of the Word, fellowship, and discipleship.  It also meets to praise and worship God.  Those are important goals, and should mark every church.  Yet not of them is the church’s primary goal here on earth.  Indeed, every one of them could be better accomplished in heaven.

 

            “What is the primary goal of the church?  Our Lord answered that question by charging us to ‘go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you’ (Matt. 28:19-20).  The church’s primary goal is evangelism.  It is to carry on the work begun by the Lord Jesus Christ, whose mission was ‘to seek and to save that which was lost’ (Luke 19:10).  That is the only duty of the church that can’t be better done in heaven.”

 

            MacArthur goes on to write that the early church certainly knew this was their goal as we have already looked at the number of believers that were added to the church in these early chapters of Acts.  Now we will go on and look at what he wrote at the end of this introductory commentary.

 

            “What did the church do to contribute to this remarkable growth?  How did the church expand so rapidly despite the determined opposition of the Jewish authorities?  (Acts 5:12-42 present’s five keys to the effective evangelism of the early church:  purity, power, persecution, persistence, and productivity.”

 

            As we begin our next SD we will be looking at this first word: purity and see what we can learn from its content.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I realize that evangelism is most important and I desire to be as Peter wrote we are to be “being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15b).” 

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will continue to give me opportunities to tell others of the good news of the gospel.  As I write my Spiritual Diaries and put them onto my blogs it is my desire, and my prayer each day that the Spirit of God will use these SD’s to bring about a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to those that He leads to read them.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Mary Magdalene” (John 20:15).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “What was the original name of the country God promised to Abraham?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

10/12/2017 11:37 AM